Saturday, September 9, 2017

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Did you know that Boston cream pie is the official dessert of Massachusetts? I suppose that's an easy guess because "Boston" is in the name, but it's a fun fact that I didn't know about until recently. Thanks to my 6 year old for being part of a post card exchange group, I've been researching interesting (and sometimes tasty) facts about Massachusetts.

If you've never heard of a post card exchange group, it's when you mail out 50 post cards and receive one back from each state. It's a fun way to teach geography, learn unique state facts, and if you're like me... another excuse to bake.

To make Boston cream pie cupcakes, you will need your favorite yellow cupcake and pastry cream recipe. If you want to cut corners and use box mix and instant pudding, go for it! However, I do recommend taking the time to make a whipped chocolate ganache. It's not only super easy to make, it's also a lot of fun to say. Say it with me: ganache. See? What did I tell you? Fun!

Once your cupcakes are baked, your pastry cream set, and your chilled ganache is a peanut butter consistency; you are ready to assemble. First, take tip 230 and place it inside a piping bag. Fill the piping bag with your pastry cream and insert the tip approximately half an inch into the cupcake. Give a gentle squeeze, don't squeeze too hard or your cupcake will explode.

If you don't have this tip, no worries. Just cut off the top of the cupcake and hollow out the inside a little bit. Then, take a spoon and scoop some cream inside before re-assembling.

After your cupcakes are filled, you will need to frost them. Whip your ganache until it is fluffy and place it in a plastic bag with the corner snipped off or use a piping bag fitted with tip 1M. Push the frosting towards the hole in the bag, squeezing out any air pockets. Then, pipe the frosting out on top the cupcake in a continuous circle one on top of the other forming a pyramid.